What next

[minty]

Today I was pruning some Alders and one of them had a large and decaying tear wound to the side.I cleaned it up carefully with 200T.The cavity is 1/3 deep and then I put a good coat of prune paint and left it for now.I was thinking of possibly filling it but Im wondering if that is going to make it better or not.

[gibbon]

Fill it with concrete

[janey]

How about some attractive, ridgid steel rod cable bracing while you're at it? It's the way of the future, i have been told .

[Mark Bolam]

Can of builder's expandable foam. Easier to carry up the tree. Concrete? Steel bars? We have progressed you two. Shame on you...

[Khriss]

Can of builder's expandable foam. Easier to carry up the tree. Concrete? Steel bars? We have progressed you two. Shame on you...

 

Oh no- expanding polystyrene ? Thats not very enviromentaly friendly -is it ? Chop the tree down and sell it fr firewood.....no more decay issue then.

 

K

[minty]

I ended up filling it with grout,and then another coat of pruneing paint over that to seal it.I did seriously consider foam but my Dad talked me out of it.

He says concrete is proven.Concrete adds density to the structure of the tree.He says,How do you know that foam is not toxic to the tree and make it sick or that it will not absorb moisture and cause decay,and that it adds less strength to the trees structure.Does anyone know any answers to these questions or can recommend a proven brand of foam(or filler).

[raafbeard]

Pics??

[tommer9]

He says concrete is proven.Concrete adds density to the structure of the tree.He says,How do you know that foam is not toxic to the tree and make it sick or that it will not absorb moisture and cause decay,confused1:

 

And will guarantee to wreck any unsuspecting tree surgeons kit in the future, and concrete soaks up water and leaches lime and other cementitious products. Contrary to popular opinion concrete is not water proof unless chemicals that arent really available to general public are added. This is why we use plastic membranes to stop rising damp under floors and in blockwork The kind of additives that you can buy in the builders merchants for adding to render mixes etc work by filling the air gaps in between the particles with a silicone based product. It doesnt work really, and that is why rendered buildings get painted, aside from the visual aspect, and render is renowned for losing its weatherpfoofness in time (usually after 5 years the beginnngs of failure are present, its just that cavity walls dont allow the damp through to the interior of the building.)

[Mesterh]

I would of left it how it was.

 

I dont think you have done it any favours tbh:sad:

 

Oh you could have rubbed some soil on it, it is supposed to help, but dont take my word for it:001_smile:

[Rik]

ive also heard that soil is meant to help. but again, dunno if it might be a bit of an old wives tale?

 

have heard wuite a lot of problematic issues with concrete, pretty much all of them tommer has already described.... i recon leaving it and letting the tree do its own thing (as treesurfer said) might have been the best course of action IMO